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"As noted in our last update, we sent a proposal on Aug. 31 to ESPN, which is negotiating on behalf of the Longhorn Network. That proposal offered to give ESPN its own digital channel for the Longhorn Network, widely available to Suddenlink customers who wanted it. We told ESPN they could make this channel available for free or set whatever price they liked ? and keep all revenues, including all advertising revenues. Under that proposal, Suddenlink would have made no money.

More than a month later, we finally received a written response from ESPN, rejecting that proposal and extending a different one. ESPN’s latest proposal ? like their previous proposals ? would force all Suddenlink TV customers to take and pay for the Longhorn Network, whether they want it or not. That is simply unacceptable.

Many broadcast and cable networks ? especially sports networks ? are already quite costly and those costs are often increasing faster than the rate of inflation. We will not force our customers to take another sports network. We are, however, ready and willing to negotiate an agreement that gives our customers a choice."

Suddenlink knows ESPN would never accept a-la-carte for The Longhorn Network. There are only a few cable channels that allow for a-la-carte carriage. DISH Network offered something similar to carry the YES Network. The providers know any such suggestion is a nonstarter.

Suddenlink knows ESPN would never accept a-la-carte for The Longhorn Network. There are only a few cable channels that allow for a-la-carte carriage. DISH Network offered something similar to carry the YES Network. The providers know any such suggestion is a nonstarter.

what about out of market?Does ESPN want to force Longhorns in to basic in all parts of the system?

then how did fios get to put in sports pack in the out of market areas?

What about cable co's that don't have any system in the LHN market area?

What happens when LHN be comes part of pac 12 and espn loses the network?

I said that was ESPN's position, positions can change.

ESPN considers the entire country LHN's market area.

You can forget about Texas going to the Pac 12 anytime soon (durnit). The Pac 12 is tired of screwing around with Texas, the Okies and all of our politics which, frankly, can be toxic. Too many egos (T. Boone Pickens, Bill Powers, Gene Stallings and such) in this part of the country.

so what say (Viacom) takes over playboy channel and say you want MTV, Nickelodeon and others? you must put playboy in basic? will some thing like that trigger outrage?

Well, you could have the pig-washing channel on basic if the market wanted it! Unfortunately, I think competitive pig-washing will be on basic before LHN is...that's what the market (as represented by the cablecos and the sat providers) want.

Great point sir. It is very annoying. There is no way in hell that if the Big Ten had a game as LSU/Bama was yesterday that everyone would be saying such a great game. Damn double standards.

I'm a Big Ten grad and I guess I simply disagree. The Big Ten this year is as bad as I can remember in decades. Last night's game wasn't pretty and plenty of people are ripping on the 9-6 result, but the amount of speed and athleticism just blows away what the Big Ten is putting out on the field this year, IMO. The defenses are so far better than anything the Big Ten has to offer.

I don't disagree that there is a double standard, but some of that is earned. The conference has been really poor in bowl games the last decade...finishing 6th among conferences. When OSU has made title games they've been destroyed. In my opinion, a Big Ten team going into Alabama gets their heads handed to them. Michigan State losing to Notre Dame, Ohio State to Miami (FL), Nebraska needing everything to beat a bad Fresno State team at home and then losing to Northwestern. On and on. The rep is deserved in my opinion.

I will not be surprised to see the Big Ten go 1-6 or something along those lines in bowl games again. Using the eyeball test, the talent just doesn't seem to be there other than Wisconsin...and they did their typical gag they do every year when they finally play someone of quality.

I'm a Texas grad but I don't see the logic in having a special channel. Especially since it means we see fewer Longhorn games now on other channels than before. Several this year are only on the LHN. The local Time Warner network doesn't carry it, DirecTV doesn't either, and I don't think Dish does. We can't even get it here in the Austin area. Who needs it? I hope the providers stand their ground and the LHN dies a slow, painful death. I agree with the above comments about love/hate ESPN.

The reason for people not saying the same thing is because in the previous year both of those Big Ten teams probably lost by 30+ to the SEC teams they faced in their Bowl Games

Exaggeration is your friend.

Seriously. The Bama/LSU game was NOT good football and I love defense. But I want to at least see the offenses trying to make plays. I want to see the head coach realize that his punt returning cannot move so he cannot field a punt unless it is aimed right at him. I want to see a head coach who feels the tempo of the game and doesn't try a trick play when his team is moving the ball.